As much as Ves liked the thought of building up his own colony and ruling over his own planet, it clashed against his original plan and goals. His main purpose was to become a Star Designer. Every other ambition had to take a backseat. There was no way he wanted to get shackled to a planet where his enemies could force him to make a stand. Staying mobile and basing the main element of his clan onto its many starships was the right way to go. If it worked for the Common Fleet Alliance and its vast network of associated spaceborn clans, it would work for the Larkinson Clan as well! So far, none of Master Goldstein's suggestions sounded all that appealing to Ves. The Master possessed different goals and a different vision on matters. He probably had little understanding of how extensively Ves wanted to maintain a healthy distance from the MTA and other entanglements. It was not as if Ves wanted to isolate himself from human society like the fleeters, but he had suffered betrayal at the hands of other parties far too many times. Before Master Goldstein could offer any further suggestions that came with a lot of strings attached, Ves raised his hand. "I prefer to spend my MTA merits on more straightforward improvements to myself and my clan. I am looking for more practical improvements that can give my people and I a short to medium-term boost. I would like to obtain goods or services that can enhance our security, increase our learning capabilities and boost our industrial capacity. I would also like to obtain anything that can deter enemies from attacking my fleet, no matter whether they are human or alien." The bald MTA Master spent a few seconds evaluating the options that matched Ves' specifications. "You are a demanding mech designer and clan patriarch, Mr. Larkinson." The Survivalist replied. "I can present you with many different options that you may be interested in, but you will have to be selective as not even hundreds of millions of MTA merits can solve all of your needs." Ves responded with a rueful smile. "I am aware of this reality. Not even first-raters can get everything on their wishlist. However, this is exactly why I am so eager to spend my MTA merits. The more enhancements I receive, the sooner my people and I can close the gap." "Well, if you are so eager to become a first-rater through your own efforts, then I suggest you spend at least 100 million MTA merits on a Hyper Chamber." "A Hyper Chamber?" Ves raised his eyebrow. "Remote communication is one of the most important binding elements of human civilization." Master Goldstein explained. "Our entire society as we know it would immediately collapse if the galactic net is taken away from us. It is because of our ability to transmit data to other people across many star systems and even entire galaxies that can unite so many groups and states into a single cohesive civilization." "That… is true. I take it that this Hyper Chamber is some sort of super communication tool?" "Oh, it is that and more, Mr. Larkinson. Remote communication has been enriched by two major advancements. First, we are able to accurately project and portray each other's bodies and any objects we wish to include in our exchange of data. Second, we are able to touch what we have projected through the use of physical projection technology. The latter has immensely reduced the downsides of remote communications and has reduced the need for personal meetings. However, the technology cannot replace face-to-face encounters entirely. Do you know why?" That was an easy question to answer. "It is because physical projections are weak. We only need to give a physical projection a moderate push before it breaks." "Exactly." Master Goldstein nodded. "Try and break this projection." The MTA Master waved his hand over the worktable, causing a simple alloy bar to appear into view. Ves picked it up and tried to break it by snapping the bar. Even though it looked and felt like a realistic alloy bar, it simply did not bend according to his will! His genetic and biological augmentations had left him with way more physical strength than he ever needed as a mech designer, but even that wasn't enough for him to bend this illusionary alloy bar! "Am I being fooled, or is this actually a projection?" Ves wondered. Master Goldstein grinned and waved his hand, causing the alloy bar projection to pop and disappear. "No, Mr. Larkinson. You are not being deceived. This is an example of state-of-the-art physical projection technology. We have constantly iterated and improved upon it for centuries, and the highest specifications of this tech can simulate physical objects so well that they can easily simulate complete mechs. In fact, you can even hold a half-virtual, half-real mech duel between two mechs!" What?! If Master Goldstein's claims were true, then the use of these superprojectors could enable mechs located in two different galaxies to duel against each other! This was a possibility that transcended virtual reality. The inclusion of physical participants meant that mechs could interact with each other in whole new ways! "Can this Hyper Chamber do all of that for our clan?" Ves eagerly asked. "Do not get too excited, Mr. Larkinson. The most basic model that is as large as a small mech arena can be obtained for around 100 million MTA merits, but you will not be able to obtain the full experience. You will have to pay more MTA merits in order to upgrade your Hyper Chamber's physical projection capabilities. You can swap out the more basic physical and energy projectors with more premium models that possess higher specifications. If you are truly wealthy and accomplished, then you may also add materializers along with a large quantity of reserve materials. This will allow your side to materialize complete objects or mechs that are transmitted by other parties." How extravagant! Ves had countless ideas in his mind on how he could take advantage of this tech! For example, he could remotely collaborate with other mech designs on performing live repairs, modifications or upgrades on existing machines. He could also allow his Larkinson mech pilots to duel against other Larkinson members who were located in branches established in distant locations. However, as soon as Ves thought about how Hyper Chambers could connect different parts of his sprawling clan, he immediately remembered that he would have to buy multiple copies of this extremely expensive exchange item! "What are the recommended uses of a Hyper Chamber if I only obtain one of them?" Ves asked the MTA Master. "There are many uses. The most relevant of them is their ability to facilitate the education of your children." Now that sparked Ves' interest. "Do you mean that these Hyper Chambers can help enhance my children's virtual school experience?" Master Goldstein smiled. "That is correct. You may not know this, but the better virtual schools demand that every pupil attend virtual classes in a Hyper Chamber. Compared to taking classes in a completely virtual environment, doing so in a setting that is built by high-quality physical projections is much superior. It can enable anyone with aspirations to become a mech pilot or mech designer to attend classes related to mechs in a much more effective manner." That definitely sounded like a benefit that could help his children obtain a more authentic school experience! Though it still couldn't beat attending a classy school in person, the gap would definitely not be as exaggerated as before! "A decently equipped Hyper Chamber can also be of great benefit to you and your fellow mech designers, especially when any of you advance to the rank of Senior Mech Designer." "In what way? Wouldn't a Journeyman be able to make use of a Hyper Chamber in the exact same manner?" "Not quite. Do you recall the rule that every Senior Mech Designer must become a professor at a recognized teaching institution?" "I do…" "You will learn more when you advance. I can tell you that it is preferable for Seniors to teach at physical institutions, but if they insist on staying in a location that is removed from an accredited institution, they can always hold their classes by remote." That was exactly what Ves had in mind. "I see. If this Hyper Chamber can make anything related to mechs a lot more realistic, does that mean that I can teach at a fancier mech university?" "Yes." Goldstein nodded in confirmation. "Hyper Chambers can be considered as an extravagant bonus for second-class mech universities that offer remote classes, but are mandatory for any first-class mech university. It is unlikely for any first-class educational institution to hire a second-class mech designer, but a dynamic pioneer such as yourself should easily find a position in the best second-class mech universities. This will especially be the case if you come with our recommendation." That sounded incredibly interesting to Ves. Prior to this conversation, he did not particularly hold high expectations of becoming a professor at a top institution. Sure, his radical design philosophy had made new inroads and opened up crazy new possibilities in the mech industry, but that also made it extremely difficult to transfer to other people. Unless he closely tutored mech designers as if they were his apprentices such as Ketis and Maikel, there was little chance that other students would ever get involved with living mechs. Aside from that, his academic credentials were also barren. He was not a lab geek and most of his work and activities were practical in nature. The academic circle generally selected their lecturers and professors according to a different set of criteria. Ves may enjoy a lot of success in the mech market, and his participation in many dangerous expeditions also allowed him to stand out from other mech designers from his generation, but did that make him a good teacher? Not necessarily. His design philosophy and work methods were unorthodox, he did not graduate from a prestigious institution, he never submitted a serious scientific paper at an academic journal, he had no prior formal experience in teaching at smaller schools and he was still too young and unproven. Ves may be willing to take a gamble every now and then, but the top mech universities in human space would never dare to play around with the future of their pupils, especially if they were destined to become the future movers and shakers of their respective states! This was why he was not entirely sure whether Master Goldstein was being serious. "Will a good school truly accept my application?" Ves hesitantly asked. "I cannot guarantee that, but possessing a sufficiently equipped Hyper Chamber will make you more attractive to them." The MTA Master replied with a smile. "You see, regardless of the technical possibilities of this advanced communication tool, its symbolic value is also great. Owning one conveys great prestige, especially when you have earned it through your own hard work as opposed to being given one by your parents or organization. Mech universities are not short-sighted. They can recognize that even if your academic credentials are insufficient, there is a realistic chance that you will eventually be a mech designer that they will have to look up to. Just the possibility is enough to tempt the more forward-looking deacons into considering your application." That sounded plausible enough, Ves supposed. He was already happy if he managed to get hired by a respectable institution. Anything better was a bonus in his opinion. "I cannot say this with certainty, but humans are reaching further and further away from our ancestral home planet." Master Goldstein spoke. "From the moment our race stepped out of Old Earth, humanity has continued to disperse across the stars. This has provided us with massive benefits, but it has become increasingly harder for distant people to connect with each other on a more personal level. The development of high-performance physical projection technology is one of several solutions that serve to counteract this concerning social pattern, especially in an age where beyonder gates have allowed us to traverse unprecedented distances." The more humanity expanded its territories, the greater the separation between each population group. If this trend continued to persist, then there might come a day where humans may no longer be united as one people!